NFL Week 2 Recap: Big Injuries and Young Passers
It was a wild second week of NFL action as the dynamic of many divisions changed over the weekend. Between the huge number of injuries and big games that took place, it was a weekend of football that seemed to keep fans on their toes and their eyes on Twitter. It’s time to recap what has been a crazy week for the NFL.
To begin, it ultimately was a very somber week of action. Many players, including some of the biggest stars in the game, got injured. Most of the injuries are very serious and will sideline these stars for either several weeks of the season or the season’s entirety. Here’s a list of some of the most significant ones:
Giants running back Saquon Barkley: torn ACL – out for the season.
49ers defensive end Nick Bosa: torn ACL – out for the season.
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo: high-ankle sprain – out for several weeks.
49ers running back Raheem Mostert: sprained MCL – out for several weeks.
Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey: high ankle sprain – out for four to six weeks.
Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton: torn ACL – out for the season.
Broncos quarterback Drew Lock: sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder – out at least two weeks.
Colts safety Malik Hooker: torn Achilles tendon – out for the season.
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams: hamstring injury – likely out next week.
Viking linebacker Anthony Barr: torn pectoral muscle – out for the season.
Those are just the most notable injuries. There also many other starters across the league that too went down. No one ever wants to see the brightest stars in football miss games due to injury, especially ones that are so serious. Unfortunately, it was just that kind of weekend for the NFL.
Some speculate that the sheer number of injuries could be from a lack of offseason activities and no preseason football. It certainly could be possible, but many experts believe that this was nothing more than a fluke week of injuries that ravaged the league.
In brighter news, there were some great performances put on by younger quarterbacks.
The headliner was Los Angeles Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, who shined in his debut. Herbert was not intended to be the starter, but a last-minute injury to Tyrod Taylor allowed the former Oregon star to get the start against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Despite the loss, Herbert threw for 311 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 66.7% of his passes for a passer rating of 94.4.
The Cardinals’ Kyler Murray was another young quarterback who played a great game on Sunday. Against Washington, Murray threw for 286 yards and rushed for another 67, proving how dangerous he can be with his legs. Many analysts believe that Murray has put himself in early consideration for the MVP race.
Speaking of the MVP race, the same can be said for another young quarterback who has impressed thus far: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Allen threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. The third-year player is having a historic start to the season, as he’s only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 700 yards, at least six touchdowns and zero interceptions through the first two games of a season. The other three were Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
It was a rollercoaster ride of a week for the NFL with a lot of great outings and a lot of terrible injuries. However, the season is still quite young, and things could change drastically by next week. Hopefully, the injuries will slow down, and most importantly, the players, coaches and all team personnel will remain COVID-19 free.
Mitch Broder is a junior majoring in digital/print journalism. To contact him, email mub584@psu.edu.
